Thermostatic circuit-controller.



L. S. BESLEY.

THERMOSTATIG CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED 3111.29, 1912.

1 1 02,566. I Patented July '7, 1914.

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nn STATES-PATENT" i f our-ion.

LnwIs s. BESLEY, or. sum LAKE crrr,

-THEBIOSTATIG CIQRSUIT-CONTROLLEB.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEWIS S. BESLEY, citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lak and is a specification.

My invention relates to means for making .or breaking an electric circuit, and particularly to said means when controlled by a thermostatic device.

The object of the invention is to provide a Specification of Letters Patent.

,5 State of Utah, have invented certain new.

very simple circuit controller wherein the expansion or contraction of a fluid within an inclosed chamber will act to make or break a circuit and thus control the passage of current through said circuit, the device being particularly adapted, though not necessarily, to be used with electric cookers.

A further object is to provide a device of this character including a resilient diaphragm of spring metal, which diaphragm when forced beyond a predetermined point by the expansion of the fluid behind the diap ragm will spring outward sufficiently to close or open a switch or break a connection between certain contact points, and which when the pressure behind the diaphragm is increased beyond a predetermined point will spring back to its original position through the resilience of the diaphragm itself.

A further object is to provide a very simple, cheap, easily operated and easily constructed device for theabove' purpose which against the force of the spring 6. It will of will be entirely effective in operation.

My invention is illustrated in the accom- 1- force of the inclosed fluid is sufficient to panying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device partly in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Flg. 3is a sectional elevation of a L modified form of my device. Fi 4 is a:

side elevation of my device em 7 ying the same general construction as that shown 111? Fig. 1 but designed to close a circuit upon an expansion of fluid within the chamber.

Corresponding and like parts are reterred to in the followin description and indicated E in all the views 0 the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

base plate is a chamber 3 inclosing an elastic.

fluid. chamber is shownas composed of a resihent diaphragm l; having an inwa d y e tendin marginal-fl ng 5 g y connected to the ace of the base plate,- either by means of. rlvets or by being soldered thereto. do not wish to limit myself to any part cular manner oi forming this Patented July .7, 1914. a iration fil d Jan ary 29.19112. Serial no. o 4324.

charter or attaching the chamber to the base plate.

The resilient plate 4 is normally forced fully inward by the resilience of the metal of which the diaphragm or late is comppsed. This diaphragm 4 is 0 such character, however, that when the diaphragm is forced beyond a straight line connecting the upper edges of the flanges 5, the diaphragm will sprmg o tward from its own resili n e, and the elasticlty of the fluid b neath. Extending over the diaphragm 4: is a spring 6 of any suitable material and shown as having at one end an inwardly extending base portion 7. angula-rly t rned as e t ngag w th the face of the plate 2 to which rt is riveted by rivets 9. Any other method of a taching the spring to the plate 2 may be used. Preferably, the spring .6 is insulated from the plate 2 by means of the insulation L0. The spring 6 ext nds over e diaphragm 4 as before described and beyond the same, and carries a pin 11 which is resiliently forced against the face of the diaphragm 4 by the resilience of the spring.

As the plate 4 is pressed outward by the ex pension of th lelastic flu d beneath it ll bear against the face of the pin 11 and lift course be understood that the expansive Also u on it a contact member designated 12 w ch is shown as forming a switch blade I and adapted Lobe-received between a cleft contact- .inember designated 13 and which is mounted upon the. zface of the plate 2 but insulated therefrom. This contact member 13 is connected in circuit with any suitable apparatus by means of the wire" 1 1, and the extremity of the spring 6 is also connected in circuit with'said apparatus by the wire 14. It will be understood, however, that the wires 14 and 14 might form part of a cir--' 7 any suitable apparatus, chamber or other device which is intended to be heated to a certain point as by electrical heating devices connected in circuit with the wires 14, 14, these heating devices however not being shown. When the .heat within the chamber A or other device connected to the plate 2 rises a certain amount, it will heat the air or other fluid contained within the chamber 3. This will cause the fluid to expand, and as it expands it will force outward upon the diaphragm 4:. When the diaphragm has been forced slightly beyond its median position, the resilience of the diaphragm will cause it to buckle, as before explained, and to fly outward to its full position, thus lifting the spring 6 and carrying the contact member 12 out of engagement with the contact member 13, thus opening the switch formed by these contact members 12 and 13 and breaking the current through the wires 14, 14. When the temperature decreases within the heater or other chamber A, the air or other fluid within the chamber 3 will contract and the spring 6 which is then under tension will force the diaphragm 4 inward to a point beyond its median position, whereupon the diaphragm will buckle inward and the spring 6 will carry the blade or contact member 12 into engagement with the contact member 13 v and the circuit will be once more completed.

It will be seen that a switch constructed in accordance with this invention is entirely automatic inits action and makes or breaks the circuit through the electrical apparatus connected thereto automatically upon the rise or fall of the temperature beyond a certain predetermined degree. I I

While I have shown in Fig. l'mydevice as being adapted to break a circuit upon a rise of the temperature beyond al-certain degree, it is also possible to use the device for makin a circuit upon such rise, as for instance w ere it is desired to close a draft of a furnace upon an increase of temperature beyond a certain point. In this case, the sprin 6 is provided with a terminal end 15 w ch extends in an opposite diof the spring 6.

rection to the terminal end 12 and is adapted to engage with a cleft contact member 16 supported above or on the outside face the spring will hold the member 15 out of contact with the contact piece 16, but when the air within the chamber 3 has expanded beyond a certain oint, the spring of the diaphragm 4 will t .row the contact member 15 into engagement with themember 16, thus completing the circuit through the wires 14, 14:.

It will of course be understood that I do not wish to be limited to any particular form of contact members or, in other words, to any particular form of switch, as my invention is adapted to be used with a number of different forms of electrical switches. Further it will be obvious that the chamber 3 might be used to operate two switches. Thus in Fig.v 3 I show another form of my device in which 17 designates a casin or chamber inclosing expansive fluid. oth sides of the chamber are formed by resilient diaphragms designated 18 and 19, these being made of thin resilient metal adapted to spring inward or outward, that is, to buckle when forced either inward or outward beyond a median position. A spring 20 carries upon it a pin 21 bearin ieldingly against the diaphragm 18, wfl e the spring 22 carries upon it the pin 23 yieldingly bearing against the diaphragm 19. Each of these sprin s 20 and 22 carries upon it in any suita le manner a contact member 24. These members coact with the contact members 25, each connected incircuit with any suitable apparatus. It will be obvious that with this device by makin the .diaphragms 18 and 19 of unequa strength, the thermostat could be used for indicating unequal temperatures. Further, it will be obvious that by securing a number of these thermostats to one casin the thermostats having diaphragms of di erent degrees of strength, an indefinite number of indications could be indicated.

In this case, normally I have referred. above to the fact that trically actuated apparatus is also adapted to actuate certain apparatus so as to indicate the temperature at which the thermostat operated.

My device is adapted for fire-alarm systems, electric heaters, sprinkler s stems, and 1 for .use in a large number of 0t er circumstances.

What I claim is: I 1. A thermostatic circuit controller including in its organization a fluid inclosi chamber having its opposite sides forme each by a resilient diaphragm, outwardly yieldable as the fluid within the chamber expands but movable inward as the fluid within the chamber contracts, said plates having different moduli of elasticity.

2. A thermostatic circuit controller including a support, a fluid iuclosing chamber carried by the support and having a resilient buckling diaphragm adapted to buckle both inwardly and outwardly, but prevented by its own resiliency from remaining in a' medial sition, an electric contact member exten ing over said diaphragm and constantly engaging. the same said member having a lateral terminal, an

a second contact member having a terminal adapted toreceive the terminal of the first, said co-acting terminals when in engagement being arranged to bear against each other to provide sufiicient frictional contact to prevent disengagement during the early movement of the diaphragm.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS S. BESLEY. [1 5.] Witnesses:

CHARLES H. GIBBS, WILLIAM D. FOSTER. 

